'JA BizTown' gives Gilman students an education in business world

Gilman School visits "JA BizTown"

Staff photo by Jen Rynda, Patuxent Publishing

Essex Thayer, 11, of Homeland, acting in the role of mayor, speaks to other Gilman School students on Nov. 9 visiting "JA BizTown," a miniature city designed to give students a hands-on experience of the real world. "JA BizTown" is run by Junior Achievement of Central Maryland and sponsored by...

Essex Thayer, 11, of Homeland, acting in the role of mayor, speaks to other Gilman School students on Nov. 9 visiting "JA BizTown," a miniature city designed to give students a hands-on experience of the real world. "JA BizTown" is run by Junior Achievement of Central Maryland and sponsored by... (Staff photo by Jen Rynda, Patuxent Publishing)

The mayor of "JA BizTown" worked hard for the money Friday — all $18 of it.

His pay for the day, two paychecks of $9 each, was play money that he could spend only in BizTown.

But Mayor Essex Thayer, 11, cared more about signing checks than receiving them. Wearing a red, white and blue hat, which made him look like Dr. Seuss' Cat in the Hat, the Homeland boy sat studiously at his desk in City Hall.

"I have to run the town, making sure all the wheels are turning correctly," Essex said.

The city has a representative sampling of sponsoring businesses one would find in a real city, including Bank of America.

Other BizTown sponsors include Toyota Financial Services, Northrop Grumman, CareFirst, the University of Phoenix and Baltimore Business Journal. All had their signs and logos outside their spaces. There was a mock TV and radio station, too, as well as a cafe.

Sponsors pay Junior Achievement a fee, and so do most schools, $30 per student, although scholarships are available, said Kim Fabian, Junior Achievement senior vice president.

Students prepare for their BizTown visits by taking 19 classes in their schools and assigning fellow students administrative jobs at each of the BizTown businesses.

Essex ran for mayor in a crowded field.

The goal is to prepare the students for a day at BizTown.

"This is the culmination of (classroom) experience," Fabian said. "We think that experiential learning is always more powerful."

At BizTown, students learn about sales, budgeting, different careers, the rigors of working for a living and the importance of getting a college degree.

"They can wrap their heads around being at work all day," Fabian said.

They also learn the nuances of saving money and getting deals and discounts. If they spend some of their paychecks to enroll at the University of Phoenix, they get raises because they earned a degree.

Gilman students made first, second and third choices of where they wanted to work in BizTown.

"I try to place them in the right shop with the right chemistry," said John Xanders, Gilman's fifth-grade homeroom teacher. "Then, they're happy when they get here."

Henry Peters, 10, of Guilford, was an ad executive for the radio station, 24.7JA.

"He's doing really well. He's enjoying the experience," said his mother, Natalie, as Henry ate a sandwich in the cafe on his lunch break.

"I've sold, like, four ads," Henry said between bites.

"I have to deposit the checks and help the CFO and the tellers if they need it," said Bank of America savings officer Jack Witherspoon, 10, of Roland Park.

Gilman School fifth-graders meet for a town hall meeting during their visit on Nov. 9 to "JA BizTown" run by Junior Achievement of Central Maryland to give students a hands-on experience in a miniature "city."

Henry Peters, left, 10, of Guilford, acting in the role of a radio show ad executive, writes out a check to Lucas Schnee, right, 11, of Pikesville, playing an investment manager during Gilman School's visit to "JA BizTown" in Owings Mills Nov. 9.